Vegetable prices plunge in Spanish province of Almeria

"Tomato and eggplant prices have fallen by more than 10% this last week, and zucchinis have already been losing value for a month. All prices stand below last year's levels," said the agrarian organization in a statement.

They point out that this situation is not just a consequence of a possible increase in the supply due to a rise in temperatures, and they lament the "lack of any prevention strategies or initiatives."

"On the contrary; the Producer Organizations and their Association have yet to take action (...). We find ourselves in the same situation as always, with no crisis management mechanisms in place to carry out product withdrawals, for example, in case the situation doesn't change and the price drops become even more pronounced," they added. .

Therefore, they ask that the supply to be regulated, so that tomatoes, zucchinis or eggplants do not "have to go through the same ordeal as cucumbers this year."

By products, zucchinis are the worst off in February, as they have been losing value week after week. In the last 15 days alone, their price has fallen by 41%, hovering around the 25 cents, which is 50% below the price reached last year.

Eggplants are also affected by this decline. Their value has fallen by 17% in the last week, and by 63% in the last fifteen days.

At the moment, the price at origin stands at around 30 cents and is 46% lower than at this point last year. Asaja pointed out that in February and March, this product has reached the worst prices in recent years.

In the case of tomatoes, their price has dropped by 27% in the last fifteen days, falling below 35 cents, i.e., "well below the production costs, even though the tomato acreage in the province has been reduced this campaign."

According to Asaja, the situation is also "worrying" for producers of open ground vegetables, such as zucchini, cauliflower or lettuce. The latter are selling for "just 30 cents per piece (already handled), so the producers can't even cover their costs."